Caryl

White spot means the fish are stressed. You can remove them from the pond and treat them but unless you identify the cause it will recur. The plastic bins will be fine and should be OK without a pump but you will need to do regular partial water changes. If the fish start gasping at the surface it is a sign of lack of oxygen. With so few fish in a pond that size it will recycle easily when the fish are returned. Seems odd to me the fish are getting white spot at this time of year. They should be semi-hibernating at the bottom of the pond. I hope you are not feeding them at this time. Goldfish shut down their digestive systems at 10C and below and do not need to eat until it is a lot warmer. Take this opportunity to clean out the pond, check the bottom for rotting matter and clean out the filter (including the impeller). Only ever use one medication at a time, do not be tempted to treat with something else "just to make sure". Salt will kill your plants. Keep the fish out of the pond for 2 weeks minimum. Not sure how much the white spot cycle slows down in cold water.

It needs to be evenly spread over the whole base of the tank or you will have problems with stress fracturing the glass. Also, the pet pad does not have a thermostat on it so you would have to check what temperature you ended up with.

Yeah I would love to see piranha in our waterways :roll:

If you have a properly set up and maintained tank that has cycled you should not need any other products at all (unless you have chlorine in your water). Some people cycle a tank by slowly adding a few hardy fish. As they produce waste, this is drawn into the filter where good bacteria grow to turn the waste into nitrites then nitrates. This is cycling. As you slowly add more fish, the waste grows slowly too and so does the bacteria in proportion. A fishless cycle uses pure ammonia (many in supermarkets have additives) instead of getting the ammonia from fish wastes. Do one or the other, not both.

DO NOT USE THE AMMONIA REMOVER as it will stuff up your cycle and give false test readings.

When did you sign up? FNZAS cards usually go out about August, when the Year Book goes out. They get sent bulk to club secretaries, as a result of capitations being paid, and it is their job to see individual members receive them.

Rams are popular at the moment

Too small for electric yellows isn't it?

Depends on your camera antwan

You don't need to interview me seahorsemad as I assure you I am fully qualified and got in first with the offer to carry the bags so you have to pick me. :bounce:

and why dig if you don't have to??? 8)

VERY clean glass. Do it at night and turn all room lights off but have as much light shining in the tank as possible. Sit the camera on a tripod or box to keep it as still as possible. If using a flash, aim slightly at an angle to avoid flashback. Train fish to line up at the front of the tank and smile. :lol: (or superglue them to the front glass - JUST KIDDING!!)

Technically I believe it is illegal but nobody minds if you just sneak a bit. If you backed up with a massive truck and front end loader you might get into trouble though!

I volunteer to carry your bags :lol: 8)

Hi and welcome Venustus. You are not the only one here bitten by the fish keeping bug! :lol:

Edited by Mod. Please note this is a family forum Ken and foul language will not be tolerated. The parents will look after the fry viciously so keep an eye on the other inhabitants.

Nice stand

He might just be clear felling. Watch out for forest fires! :lol:

I have 2 4ft tanks, 1 18" and the other 16" (had to go find an old 3ft ruler :lol: ) deep. The 18" has 4 daylight (or bright white depending on brand) fluoros and the other has 2. I have never had trouble growing plants with these lights. Indeed, many here have benefitted as I am always having to trim them!

When they are egg bound, they tend to stick out more sideways, not hang below like in the photo. And, as Sharn said, the treatments would not have had an effect like they did in the start. I looked up my trusty disease book but couldn't find anything that matched

Are you sure he isn't the dad?

I gather you added the sand first? Cichlids will dig and undermine the rocks. Make sure they are firmly stacked. Without the sand at one end, a bottom rock will drop and the rest will slide off sideways or topple forwards. Some people silicone rocks to hold them together. When I set mine up, I put the rocks in first then scattered the sand around. You did ask us what we think so...why the bubbles bang in the middle at the front? To me it will distract the eye from the fish. I would move it behind the rocks. Just MHO though I am not a fan of bubble walls as you don't see them in nature like that so I might be biased If you like it, then that is all that matters. It will look good once the cichlids are in there.

Boy that sure is bloated! I would have suggested what you have already done - the peas and salts. Since the first dosing worked to begin with, I think a digestive problem is the cause. I wonder if he swallowed a small stone and it is blocking the digestive tract? Goldfish can do this, not sure about neons though :roll: Judging from the pic I would wonder how old it is. It looks a fair size. As fish age they, like humans, can develop various health problems and perhaps that is what is wrong with the neon. If it is otherwise feeding well and acting normally I would leave it. If it appears to be in distress, then euthanase it. Keep up the treatments for a week, it might help if there is a blockage making its way through the system.

An excellent suggestion chimera. I have one in the room but not near the tank. Might consider adding an extra.

Farm suppliers also have the black stuff they use for farm dams.